Numbered Discourses 4.158

1. Faculties

Decline

There Sāriputta addressed the mendicants:

“Reverends, mendicants!”

“Reverend,” they replied.

Sāriputta said this:

“Reverends, any monk or nun who sees four things inside themselves should conclude:

‘My skillful qualities are declining.

For this is what the Buddha calls decline.’

What four?

They have much greed, much hate, and much delusion; and their wisdom eye doesn’t go into the many deep matters.

Any monk or nun who sees these four things inside themselves should conclude:

‘My skillful qualities are declining.

For this is what the Buddha calls decline.’

Any monk or nun who sees four things inside themselves should conclude:

‘My skillful qualities are not declining.

For this is what the Buddha calls non-decline.’

What four?

Their greed, hate, and delusion grow less; and their wisdom eye goes into the many deep matters.

Any monk or nun who sees these four things inside themselves should conclude:

‘My skillful qualities are not declining.

For this is what the Buddha calls non-decline.’”